There are various techniques for moving articles from one point in a manufacturing process to another point in a manufacturing process. One common technique is to use belt conveyors. The belt conveyors can be a simple strip of belting which is continuously moved over rollers or can be varied to contain channels in which various goods can be guided from one point to another point. Another technique for moving articles from one point to another point is the use of bucket conveyors. Bucket conveyors are particularly useful when articles are to be moved up a steep grade or in an essentially vertical direction. There are yet other uses for bucket conveyors. One of these uses would be in the transport of liquids, such as various viscous liquids. In general, the method of conveying an article or substance from one point to another point will depend to a large degree on the article or substance to be moved and the distance and direction in which it is to be moved.
In the present application for patent the objective is to move fairly fragile articles from one point in the manufacturing process to another point in the manufacturing process, and in particular to the packaging part of the process. The fragile articles that are to be moved are various bakery products, and in particular, cookies, crackers and related products. Any rough handling of cookies and crackers subsequent to baking will result in many of these cookies and crackers becoming broken, chipped and otherwise undergoing degradation. Broken crackers and cookies cannot be packaged since the consumer is expecting to purchase a package of cookies or crackers that are in one piece and which can be utilized in that condition. Some cookies and crackers will break during transport. However, with effective packaging and reasonable handling, any such breakage will be held to a minimum. The problem of an excessive amount of broken cookies or crackers in a package would be increased if a large number were broken during the manufacturing process and packaged along with the whole cookies or crackers.
In the present instance, it has been found that a bucket conveyor system can be utilized to effectively transport fragile articles in a manufacturing system. The bucket conveyor system will hold the articles in a static condition while the bucket moves the articles from a receiving point to a discharging point. That is, the fragile articles, such as cookies and crackers, are not continuously being handled and jarred as they would for instance on a conventional belt or vibrating conveyor. Further the buckets are filled to less than half of their volume so that in processing there will be less handling. That is the buckets can traverse the bucket conveyor system twice before the buckets could reach an overfill situation. However the system is designed so that an overfill situation will not occur.
Various types of bucket conveyors have been used to transport a wide variety of articles. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 626,956 discloses an apparatus for discharging coal into the holds of ships. The apparatus consists of a number of bucket type conveyors B which at an uppermost point receive a charge of coal and move this coal downwardly to an area C.sub.1 where it is discharged from the conveyor via one end of the conveyor. This patent shows the use of an end discharge technique from a bucket conveyor. After discharge the bucket collapses and is moved upwardly via an endless belt in another cycle to pick up another charge of coal. This patent, although it does utilize bucket conveyors, it does not utilize the rearward laying down of the bucket contents nor the distribution of the contents of a bucket conveyor across another surface such as a belt or vibrating conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,704,177 discloses a roll panning machine. The roll panning machine is utilized to deposit dough rolls into baking pans. The dough rolls are received by buckets (5) of the endless conveyor from a rotating wheel mechanism. The dough rolls are then transported in the buckets until they reach designated chutes (55) where the buckets are rearwardly unloaded depositing the dough rolls down into the chutes and into a baking pan at the bottom of the chutes. The baking pans consist of a conveyor which moves transverse to the direction of the bucket conveyor. Although this patent does show the rearward emptying of a bucket, there is no mechanism disclosed with regard to partially filling the buckets so that they can go through more than one cycle prior to reaching a point of bucket overflow.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,656 discloses a conveyor method and apparatus for handling balls of dough. This method and apparatus consists of a series of bucket conveyors wherein at one point in the system the buckets each receive a dough ball and move this dough ball to a discharge chute (4). When the bucket approaches the discharge chute the bucket is fully inverted and drops the dough ball downwardly into the chute. The bucket is then returned to the dough ball receiving position to receive another dough ball. This patent shows the transport of bakery dough but it does not disclose the rearward spilling of the contents of a bucket nor the method of partially filling the conveyor buckets so that they can traverse through more than one cycle prior to a bucket potentially reaching an overflow situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,325 discloses a conveyor system for conveying articles, such as food items, in bucket conveyors. The bucket conveyors will deposit the food items into particular lanes of a transverse moving conveyor. This patent also shows the bucket conveyors depositing the food item onto the transverse moving conveyor belt by means of a rearward spilling of the item onto a sector of the belt. The moving belt is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. However, this patent does not show the rearward spilling and spreading of a fragile food product across a lower surface nor does it show a system of partially filling the buckets of a bucket conveyor such that a bucket may undergo more than one cycle prior to reaching a point of overflow.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,628 discloses an invertible pan conveyor apparatus and method for the conveying of food items such as grains, cereals, tea or coffee. In this apparatus the food item is received from a chute onto the pans of the pan conveyor. The food item is conveyed through an apparatus such as a dryer first in one direction designated (86) whereupon each pan deposits its contents downwardly through a chute and onto a lower pan which travels in the opposite direction (106). The food item then travels to the region of chute (60) where the food item is removed from the pan by means of the pan back tilting and depositing the food item downwardly through a chute. This patent is interesting with regard to showing the rearward spilling of food items from a back tilting pan. However, there is no disclosure, among other things, of the use of a system where each pan is filled only to part of its capacity so that it can pass through more than one cycle before being filled to an overflow condition.
Russian Patent 1,217,749 discloses a method for conveying bread forms. In this apparatus a pan containing baked bread is conveyed to a discharge point where the pan is essentially inverted using a rearwardly tilting motion in order to remove the loaf of baked bread from the pan. The pan is then returned to the upright condition in preparation for the next cycle.
Japanese Patent Application No. 55-93489 discloses a classifying bucket system for use with fruits and vegetables. In this system a series of buckets carry the fruits and vegetables. These buckets are supported on each side by continuous conveyor chains. The bucket itself upon reaching the point where the product is to be discharged discharges the product through tilting sideways to empty the fruits or vegetables from the bucket. This patent is interesting but it does not utilize a rearward spilling technique nor does it show the concept of partially filling the buckets so that they may go through more than one cycle prior to reaching a point of overflow.
French Patent 2,480,082 discloses a method and apparatus for the depositing of dough pieces onto a conveyor. The dough pieces are held in a proofer conveyor pocket which at the proper point will tilt and drop the dough ball into the flexible pocket (4). This flexible pocket (4) will then tilt rearwardly and deposit the dough ball downwardly onto the conveyor belt (5). The flexible pocket (4) is then in a position to receive another piece of proofed dough. This flexible pocket is stationary. Consequently this patent shows the deposit of a dough piece downwardly from a stationary flexible pocket and depositing this dough piece onto a conveyor which is moving in a direction opposite to that of the conveyor that transported the dough piece to the flexible pocket. This patent does show a type of rearward spilling of a food item from a bucket but it does not show the rearward spilling of a fragile food item across a lower surface nor the utilization of a system wherein the buckets of a bucket conveyor are partially filled so that they may transverse through more than one cycle of the operation prior to reaching an overflow situation.
Japanese Patent 58-177806 discloses an apparatus for conveying cereals. This patent discloses an apparatus whereby bucket conveyors are utilized to transport a cereal to a tank (3). In this apparatus the particular buckets are tilted forwardly, and when so tilted, deposit the cereal downwardly into the tank (3). This patent differs from the present bucket conveying technique since it is directed to forward tilting buckets for emptying and further does not disclose a partial filling of the buckets so that the buckets can go through more than one cycle prior to reaching an overflow situation.
United Kingdom Patent Application 2,180,016 discloses a method and apparatus for transporting fragile items such as fruits. In this patent there is shown the conveying of the fruit in individual buckets to a receptacle which has a rotary brush (14) and a stationary brush (16). This brush mechanism deposits the fragile fruit items onto transporter conveyor (18). This patent does show the rearward spilling of an item from a bucket conveyor. However, there is not shown the technique of partially filling the buckets so that the buckets can travel through more than one cycle prior to reaching an overflow condition.
These patents are of interest with regard to illustrating that bucket conveyors have been utilized in various art areas. However, there is no disclosure in these patents with regard to a bucket conveyor method and apparatus for effectively handling fragile articles such as cookies and crackers.